As is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,430,024 to Gernert, which is incorporated by reference herein, the performance and lifespan of capacitors are detrimentally affected by increased temperature. Various devices have been developed to enhance the cooling of capacitors to prevent them from exceeding their maximum temperature.
There have been several efforts to remove heat from the center core of a cylindrical electrolytic capacitor casing. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,264,943 to Anderson uses a hollow core for the capacitor to increase the surface area exposed to the cooler outside environment. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,168 by Efford, it is suggested that such a hollow core capacitor casing be cooled by natural or forced convection of a fluid through the hollow core. U.S. Pat. No. 3,622,846 to Reimers discloses building a capacitor on a spool formed from three heat pipes, one as the center core, and the other two as flanges. Each of these references is also incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
Improvements are continually sought for cooling capacitors in the interests of improving their performance and extending their lifespan.